Elizabeth Falkner's Demolition Desserts: Recipes from Citizen Cake

Over the past ten years, Elizabeth Falkner has transformed her bakery from a tiny space in San Francisco's Mission district to the country's ultimate dessert destination. InDemolition Desserts, Elizabeth presents her favorite creations, from the cookies, brownies, and cupcakes beloved by Citizen Cake regulars to the plated desserts that have made her one of the most dynamic culinary talents of her generation. Elizabeth begins with a chapter devoted to chocolate chip cookies, building from a straight-up version to the more-is-more Chocolate Chip Mania. Provocatively titled compositions like A Chocolate Tart Named Desire, S'More A Palooza, and Gingerbread Bauhaus capture Elizabeth at the top of her art, breaking down classic desserts and reconstructing them flavor by flavor. Elizabeth has adapted even her most elaborate desserts for the home kitchen, and each dessert is equipped with a detailed make-ahead timeline and a minimalist version for those pressed for time. Stunning color photographs illustrate every main recipe in the book, andmanga-style animation--starring Elizabeth's pastry-obsessed alter ego, Caremi--empower home cooks to go forth boldly and bake.

ELIZABETH FALKNER has been profiled in every major American food magazine and has appeared numerous times on the Food Network, first as a featured destination on Rachael Ray's $40 a Day and more recently on Iron Chef. She lives in San Francisco.

CONTENTS
 
Acknowledgments | ix
Introduction | 1
Ingredients, Power Tools, and Other Equipment | 8
 
1 | A Study in Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
Chocolate Chip Cookies Straight Up or with Nuts | 23
 
Chocolate2 Chip Espresso Cookies | 24
 
Chocolate Chip Cookies Version XS | 27
 
Crisp Chocolate Chip Florentine Cookies | 32
 
Chocolate Chip Mania | 35
blondies, brown sugar-chocolate chunk ice cream, chocolate2 chip espresso cookies, chipped cream, dark and white chocolate sauces
 
2 | The Chocolate Crawl
 
Tiramisushi | 43
cocoa roulade sponge cake, marsala mascarpone filling, mocha-rum dipping sauce, fruit ribbons, biscotti chopsticks
 
The Real McCoy Ice Cream Sandwich | 49
minty gelato, fudgy sandwich biscuits, dark chocolate sauce, basil-mint oil
 
CocoShok | 53
coconut panna cotta, dark chocolate sauce, walnut-caramel coconut candy, venezuelan-spiced rum-and-lime granita
 
A Chocolate Tart Named Desire | 57
warm chocolate-caramel tart, mint julep ice cream, dark chocolate sauce, pecan praline
 
S'More A Palooza | 61
malted hot chocolate, chocolate-peanut butter cream, toasted marshmallows, crushed graham crackers, peanut rice curry
 
Black on Black | 64
chocolate chibouste, wine-soaked cherries, altoids liquorice ice cream
 
3 | Fruitscapes
 
Lemon Meringue Pie = Lemon Drop | 71
eggless lemon curd, vanilla shortbread cookies, brandy caramel sauce, french meringue, basil-mint oil
 
Warm Chocolate Cake Crottin and Salad of Gianduja and Citrus | 74
warm chocolate crottin cakes, citrus, chocolate-hazelnut cream, espresso vinaigrette
 
Untitled II: Chocolate with Raspberry and Fennel Tones | 79
warm chocolate crottin cakes, shaved fennel, sweet raspberry vinaigrette, vanilla gelato
 
Upside-Down Pineapple Parfait | 80
pineapple braised with brown sugar and star anise, vanilla mochi cake, coconut cream, vanilla gelato
 
Karrot Keiki | 85
carrot caketons, cream cheese-currant-walnut balls, pear sesame salad, sesame vinaigrette
 
Lovelova (Persian Strawberry and Saffron Pavlova) | 89
saffron meringues, cardamom cream, rose-water berries, rose petals, pistachios
 
Suddenly Last Summer | 92
peaches sautéed in wine and honey, walnut-thyme streusel, sweet cream reduction, olive oil filo crisps
 
Citizen Shortcake | 97
shortcake biscuits, berries, black pepper-tarragon syrup, whipped crème fraîche
 
Apple Galettes | 99
thinly sliced apples on blitz puff pastry with almond paste and apricot glaze
 
Apple of My Eye | 105
tarte tatin apples, cheddar crumbles, cinnamon ice cream, balsamic-apple reduction
 
A Veil of Vanilla | 108
tarte tatin apples, point reyes blue cheese crumbles, pecan caramel sauce, honey semifreddo, pomegranate
 
4 | Construction zone
 
Waking Up in a City That Never Sleeps | 115
cheesecake custard, sour cream sorbet, graham cracker powder, blueberry paper
 
Gingerbread Bauhaus | 117
chipotle gingerbread, pear sorbet, pomegranate gel, royal icing shards
 
Concord Express | 121
concord grape tapioca, buttermilk panna cotta, peanut butter ice cream, caramel corn
 
PB&J | 125
peanut butter ice cream, concord grape sorbet
 
Cherries of the Corn | 127
creamy grits, wine-soaked cherries, sweet corn ice cream, popcorn, fleur de sel  
 
Spanish Quincition | 129
manchego churros, membrillo, paprika almonds, sherry gastrique
 
Bananas Foster Cane Split | 133
pineapple sashimi, strawberry sorbet, strawberry brunoise, bananas foster with rum, cacao nib streusel, vanilla gel, melted chocolate, cilantro-mint oil, brandied cherries
 
The M Word | 137
grilled figs, mastic ice cream, filo shards
 
Battleship Potemkin | 143
warm white chocolate cake with a dark chocolate center, odessa steps chocolate shortbread, chocolate ice cream, bloodshed raspberries
 
NorCal (An Homage to Laura Chenel) | 147 
chèvre rice pudding, dates, candied kumquats, pistachios, honey
 
6 | citizen cupcakes
Lemania Cupcakes | 173
buttermilk cupcakes, eggless lemon curd filling, vanilla meringue frosting, lemon zest
 
Rocky Road Cupcakes | 175
dark chocolate cupcakes, dark chocolate buttercream frosting, marshmallows, walnuts
 
Candy Bar Cupcakes | 179
brown sugar cupcakes, caramel filling, peanut butter frosting, salted peanuts
 
Sticky Toffee Cupcakes | 181
date cupcakes, toffee filling, coconut cream cheese frosting, flaked coconut
 
7 | sip this
 
Shagadelic | 187
 
Watermelon Margarita | 188
 
Violet Beauregard | 191
 
Love Letter | 192
 
Strong Hot Chocolate | 195
 
Hot Chocolate Affogato | 195
 
Indian Rose Milk | 196
 
8 | core recipes
 
FOUNDATIONS
 
Choux Paste (aka Pâte à Choux) | 200
 
Tart Dough | 200
 
Puff Pastry | 201
 
Shortcake Biscuit Dough | 201
 
Crème Anglaise | 202
 
Pastry Cream | 203
 
Eggless Lemon Curd | 204
 
Vanilla Gelato | 205
 
SUPPORTS
 
Dark Chocolate Ganache | 206
 
Dark Chocolate Sauce | 207
 
White Chocolate Sauce | 208
 
Fruit Sauce | 208
 
Wine-Soaked Cherries | 209
 
Basic Caramel Sauce | 210
 
Marshmallows 1.0 | 212
 
Graham Crackers | 214
 
ACCENTS
 
Simple Syrup | 215
 
Infused Simple Syrup | 215
 
Royal Icing | 216
 
Seven-Minute Icing and Filling | 216
 
Buttercream Frosting | 217
 
Clarified Butter | 217
 
Streusel | 218
 
Vanilla Gel | 219
 
Herb Oil | 220
 
Crème Fraîche | 221
 
 
Resources | 222
Index | 224
Conversion Charts | 230